Cranial Device With Rotary Tilt Sensor

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to an improved cranial device with a rotary inclination detector, including a container box which can be secured to the cranium of sleeping person and which contains an electric motor and an eccentric counterweight coupled thereto, forming a vibrator. The device also includes a battery or a battery holder for at least one battery, which is provided with two axially opposed projecting contacts or studs. The container box is provided with inclined formations with dielectric properties, on which the battery or battery holder can roll by means of the studs thereof, and two electric contacts on which the inclined formations terminate, such that, when the battery holder is placed on the electric contacts, the motor circuit is closed, thereby activating the vibrator.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a cranial device with rotary tiltsensor for preventing the respiratory obstruction during sleep,comprising a container box that can be attached to the skull of thesleeper and, arranged inside said box, an electric motor and aneccentric counterweight coupled thereto, with which it forms a vibrator.

The object of the present invention application is to provide askull-attachable device with a detection mechanism of the supinedecubitus posture and deterrent by means of vibration, with the purposeof being utilized by a person prone to respiratory obstruction orresistance while sleeping and which frequently end up in snore orrespiratory apneas during sleep.

The supine decubitus posture during sleep is the one that brings aboutmore obstruction in the respiratory passages, by the tongue fallingbackwards and greater relaxation of the throat musculature, makingcontact or pressing in excess against other related organs or tissues.This occurs by the muscle tonicity in the deep sleep phase being reducedand by the effect of gravity, which produces a partial or total blockageat the level of the Rhino-pharynx or the Oro-pharynx, increasing duringinhalation the negative pressure at the narrowest point by the air flowhaving to pass more forced. Accordingly, suction and unconsciousvibration of the surrounding tissues accompanied by snoring or temporaryrespiratory arrest is produced.

When sleeping with the device, the user should stay in a side decubitusposture counteracting the “plug” effect, and being aware of maintainingthis posture during sleep in order to not activate the vibrator, sinceit transmits an uncomfortable and annoying rattle to the skull. Thiseffect results, at the same time, totally innocuous to the user.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Until now, cranial devices with the system of the present applicationare not known. Indeed systems as a backpack for the back exist,resulting harmful to health because they reduce the blood supply to thearms, due to the fit of its harness which combined with the naturalmovements when sleeping acts as a tourniquet. Also, containers withobjects similar to tennis balls attached to the back of the pajama areutilized, altogether resulting insufficient and with the drawback ofhaving to sleep with upper garment during the summer, and the effect ofinterfering with the quality and quantity of sleep. Indeed two UtilityModels exist similar to the applied for, the titles of which are“Disuasor Postural durante el sueño” (Postural deterrent during sleep)with Application No. U 200601677 and publication number ES 1063432U and“Dispositivo craneal perfeccionado para disuación postural durante elsueño” (Perfected cranial device for postural deterrent during sleep)with application No. U 200702433 and publication number ES1066861U, butlacking the tilt sensor system which is described in the presentspecification, the programmable delay circuit, the circuit forprogressive increase of intensity, memory and connectivity.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention object of the present invention is consisting of twopieces coupled to each other as a container box, and with means forattaching to a textile tape allowing it to conform to the skull of theuser, being able to be positioned on the forehead. Inside the box, somemeans for producing vibration are housed holding thereto. Inside thesame container box, the feed system based on power cell or rechargeablebattery is placed, also some means for activation of the means ofvibration are placed, which are activated when the individual over whomthe postural sensor is arranged, adopts a certain position.

The activating means of the means of vibration can be:

rotary means, i.e. acting by rotation, and which at the same time can be

a power cell holder, which houses one power cell, and wherein the powercell holder has some contacts, overhanging or lugs, at their axiallyopposed ends.

a conductive metal cylinder

These rotary means work in collaboration with the shape of the containerbox which presents at its ends some tilted structures with dielectriccharacteristics over which the rotary means can roll through their endsuntil making contact with two electrical contacts wherein said tiltedstructures terminate.

a conductive metal sphere, housed in a conic-shaped conductive bush as afunnel with the suitable tilt and with a contact separated by adielectric placed in the opening of smaller diameter of the mentionedconical bush, such that by horizontally positioning the assembly, thesphere is displaced over the wall of the conical bush by gravitationaleffect, until coming to rest over the bottom contact, closing theelectrical circuit and activating the vibrator.

The mentioned three types of rotary means for activation, are based inthe displacement of an element, such as a power cell holder, the powercell itself, a conductive metal cylinder or a metal sphere, until makingcontact with two electrical contacts which produces the closing of thecircuit and the activation of the means of vibration.

or means based on an acceleration and/or position transducer of one ormore axes and a programmable circuit that picks up the signals from thetransducer, it analyzes them and generates the necessary signals foractivating the vibrator at the right moment.

On the other side, the producing means of vibration can be an electricmotor and an eccentric counterweight coupled thereto, or any othervibrating electro-mechanic device.

Also in a complementary or alternative manner, the device can contain anadjustable electronic circuit, with the purpose of progressively andautomatically increasing the vibration power in the function of time.

In a possible embodiment, the device of the invention comprises a powercell holder for housing at least one power cell, which is provided withtwo axially opposed overhanging contacts or lugs, and the container boxcomprises some tilted structures with dielectric characteristics overwhich said power cell holder can roll through its lugs, and twoelectrical contacts wherein said tilted structures terminate, such thatwhen the power cell holder comes to rest over said electrical contactscloses the motor circuit, in this way activating the vibrator.

The power cell holder for housing one power cell can directly be a powercell, which then is provided with the two axially opposed lugs.

In an embodiment, the tilted structures have a tilt between 35° and 90°.

The device of the invention can include, inside the container box, anadjustable timing electronic circuit, with the purpose of delaying theactivation of the vibration.

The system of attachment of the device to the skull of the patient canbe by means of a textile tape or it can be based on a single-useadhesive patch, with a socket for inserting the device, in this wayimproving the comfort of the patient and preventing maintenance andcleaning of the attaching strip.

The device can be attached to any other part of the human body besidesthe skull, with the purpose of preventing a specific position of thatpart of the body during sleep, in this way allowing relievingdiscomfort, pains or pathologies associated with a bad posture duringsleep (e.g. recovery from surgical operations, hip or spinal columnailments, etc.).

The device, in a complementary embodiment, has memory for storinginformation relative to the patient and to the equipment, andconnectivity for transmitting that information to an external device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For complementing the description to be carried out next, and with theobject of helping to a better understanding of its characteristics,attached to the present specification, is a set of planes on whichfigures, in an illustrative and not limitative manner, the moresignificant details of the invention are depicted.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the device object of the invention canbe observed.

FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B are a plant depiction of the device object of theinvention is shown.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

In view of the commented figures and of the applied numbering, apreferred embodiment although not limitative of the invention can beobserved in the drawings, consisting of a container box (1) having a lid(3) over which there is a structure (4) for attaching a vibrating motor(10). Inside the box (1), a niche (5) is defined inside of which avibrating motor (10) is arranged together with a counterweight (11), thevibrating motor (10) being fed with at least one power cell or batteryhoused in the power cell holder (14) arranged in the niche (6) of thebox, wherein the power cell holder (14) has some overhanging contacts(15) as cylindrical lugs, with the purpose of being able to rotate overthe tilted structures (7) if a tilting of the device is produced, untilmaking contact with the contacts (8) of the circuit of the vibratingmotor (10), closing the electrical circuit and thus bringing about thevibration of the mentioned device.

The detection sensitivity of the tilting of the device and the vibrationwill depend on the manufacturing angle of the tilted structures (7),since if said device stays in a side position, the rotary contacts (15)of the power cell holder (14) will manifest unbalance in the weightexercised by the power cell housed within it and due to thegravitational attraction, thus the power cell will roll in oppositedirection to the contacts (8) of the niche (5) without closing theelectrical circuit. The inverse effect is produced if a tilt is carriedout heading for the supine decubitus position, which will roll the powercell until making contact with the mentioned contacts (8) closing theelectrical circuit and producing a warning vibration, thus, if there wasa 90° angle, the maximum sensitivity for the assembly would beestablished, the optimum one resulting from some 35°, with the purposeof creating a tolerance margin to the movement without activating thedevice.

The explained embodiment is one among the possible embodiments, sinceinstead of a power cell holder with end lugs, a conductive metalcylinder, or the power cell itself can be employed as equivalent means.Instead of a motor with an eccentric, equivalent means can be employedsuch as any other vibrating electro-mechanic device, since in any casethey produce the desired effect, being evident the substitution of onefor another. Instead of carrying out the attachment to the skull, itcould be carried out to any other part of the body, since it is anequivalent embodiment that does not alter the looked-for results.

Additionally, the device object of the invention can have a programmabledelay circuit which allows selecting the delay in the activation of themeans of vibration.

Also in a complementary or alternative manner, the device can contain anadjustable electronic circuit, with the purpose of progressively andautomatically increasing the vibration power in the function of time.

The device in a complementary embodiment has memory for storinginformation relative to the patient and to the equipment andconnectivity for transmitting that information to an external device.

The system of attachment of the device to the skull of the patient canbe by means of a textile tape or can be based in a single-use adhesivepatch, with a socket for inserting the device, in this way improving thecomfort of the patient and preventing maintenance and cleaning of theattaching strip.

The model in its essentiality can be implemented in other embodimentswhich would differ in detail by way of example in the description andwhich will equally reach the protection asked for. So, it can bemanufactured in any shape, size and with the most suitable materials asall of this is in the spirit of what is claimed.

1-8. (canceled)
 9. A device with a postural sensor for preventingrespiratory obstruction or resistance of a sleeping individual, saiddevice comprising: a container box adapted to be attached to a part ofthe body of the individual; a memory module for storing informationrelative to the individual and to the device; a connectivity module fortransmitting said information to an external device; wherein the devicefurther comprises, arranged inside said container box, a vibrationmodule for producing vibration; a feed system based on a power cell or arechargeable battery; an activation module for activating the vibrationmodule when the individual wearing the device adopts a certain position,wherein the vibration module transmits vibration to said part of thebody of the individual; an adjustable timing electronic circuit adaptedto delay the activation of the vibration module; and an adjustableelectronic circuit adapted to progressively and automatically increasethe vibration power as a function of time.
 10. The device according toclaim 9, wherein the device further comprises an attachment system forattaching the container box of the device to the part of the body of theindividual, wherein said attachment system includes an adhesive patchwith a socket for inserting the container box.
 11. The device accordingto claim 9, wherein the activation module comprises an accelerationtransducer and/or a position transducer of one or more axes, and aprogrammable circuit adapted to pick up acceleration signals and/orposition signals from the acceleration transducer and/or the positiontransducer, analyze the acceleration signals and/or position signals,and generate the signals for activating the vibration module.
 12. Thedevice according to claim 9, wherein the container box comprises sometilted structures with dielectric characteristics, wherein theactivation module comprises a rotary part that can roll through its endsover said tilted structures, and two electrical contacts wherein saidtilted structures terminate, wherein the rotary part closes anelectrical circuit that activates the vibration module when the rotarypart comes to rest over said electrical contacts.
 13. The deviceaccording to claim 12, wherein the tilted structures have a tilt ofbetween 35° and 90°.
 14. The device according to claim 12, wherein therotary part comprises a power cell holder for housing the power cell,wherein said holder comprises two axially opposed overhanging contactsor lugs.
 15. The device according to claim 12, wherein the rotary partcomprises a conductive metal cylinder.
 16. The device according to claim9, wherein the activation module comprises a conductive metal spherehoused in a conic-shaped conductive bush shaped as a funnel with asuitable tilt and comprising a bottom contact separated by a dielectricmaterial placed in the opening of smaller diameter of the conical bush,such that by horizontally positioning the assembly the sphere isdisplaced over the wall of the conical bush by gravitational effect,until coming to rest over the bottom contact, closing an electricalcircuit that activates the vibration module.
 17. The device according toclaim 9, wherein the vibration module comprises a vibratingelectro-mechanic device.
 18. The device according to claim 17, whereinthe vibrating electromechanical device is an electric motor and aneccentric counterweight coupled thereto.
 19. The device according toclaim 9, wherein the vibration module is held on to the container box,and wherein the container box comprises two pieces coupled to eachother.
 20. The device according to claim 19, wherein one of said twopieces is a lid over which there is a structure for attaching thevibration module.
 21. The device according to claim 9, wherein thedevice is a cranial device, and wherein the container box is adapted tobe attached to the skull of the individual.
 22. The device according toclaim 9, wherein the activation module activates the vibration modulewhen the individual wearing the device adopts a supine decubitusposture.